Kissing Secrets
by SapeloSweetie
Summary: Takes place around Mia's college years. Only, this time, she's not the heir to the throne, Michael is. MM of course. Well, maybe...
1. Lonely Day

A/N: I am kind of putting Mia's Super Sweet Sixteen on hiatus right now, I will finish it eventually, but I got bored with it. Here's my new story, I hope you like it, and I hope you review!

Disclaimer: Well, everyone should know by now that Princess Diaries and all related characters belong to Meg Cabot, and if they don't, what rock have you been hiding under? Now, that's out of the way, all the teachers, wedding planners and other various characters belong to me.

AU: Dates don't really matter, but it is set around Mia's college years. Mia is not the Princess of Genovia, but Michael is the Prince. Lilly is Michael's cousin instead of sister, and Michael's last name is not Moscovitz anymore, it's Renaldo. Oh, and Grandmere is definitely still Grandmere.

* * *

"Can you hand me that earring?" Mia glanced at herself in the large ornate mirror. She held her breath praying that she was doing the right thing for the first time in her life.

Lilly held the earring out to her as she said, "Don't worry, you look beautiful. And you're doing the right thing."

Mia glanced at her, Lilly always seemed to have a knack for reading what Mia was thinking. She gave her a tentative smile, and Lilly grinned back, giving her a thumbs up sign. Mia turned back to the mirror and studied her reflection. She was ready for this…she hoped.

Lilly handed Mia her bouquet as Tina opened the dressing room door. "They're ready for you Mia."

She mentally checked off something old, something new, something borrowed, and, wait…something blue? Clutching Lilly's arm, she turned and scanned the room.

"I don't have anything blue. I have to have something blue, I mean, I know there was something blue around here, there HAS to be…" Whirling around, she gestured frantically for Lilly to aid her in searching for the missing item. Tina pulled her hand from behind her back and revealed the missing item. It was an exquisitely made lace garter with a tiny blue ribbon woven through it. Mia sighed relief and took it from Tina's outstretched hand.

"Alright future Princess, let's get the show on the road," Helen Thermolpolis said as she entered the room.

Mia looked at her mother and voiced her doubts, "Mom, are you sure I'm doing the right thing?"

"Well, only you can answer that question. But I am proud of you no matter what you do."

"Mom, you're getting me all teary eyed," Mia sniffed.

Tina glanced out the door and signaled Helen it was time for her to take her place at the front of the church.

"Alright, I've gotta go, but Mia, just remember to breathe."

She hurried out of the room and Mia took her bouquet from Lilly again. She took a deep breath and led her bridesmaids out of the dressing area. The wedding coordinator, Grace, was talking rapidly into a headset and stopped abruptly when she realized Mia had arrived. She took a few moments to settle the veil and dress to her liking and stood back to admire her handiwork. Mia's step-father took her arm and glanced at her.

"Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be I guess."

Tina and Lilly were already making their way down the mile-long aisle. Grace signaled the quartet that it was time for Mia's grand entrance. The beginning notes to the wedding march were heard as the large oak doors were thrown open and the flower girl and ring bearer preceded the bride.

Everyone rose and turned to face her as she made her first few steps toward the alter. Towards her future, Michael. His face lit up as he caught the first glimpse of Mia, floating toward him. An admiring murmur rippled through the guests.

Halfway down the aisle, however, Mia stopped abruptly. Thoughts ran through her mind a million miles an hour as she tried to overcome her fears. Her eyes searched the masses for her mother, and she finally caught her eye. A questioning look passed over Helen's face and Mia shook her head. She turned quickly and ran toward the door.

"Okay, breathe, just…think, breathe…," she thought as she fled the building. She jumped into the back of a dark SUV and ordered the driver to floor it. Safely away from the church, she buried her face into her hands and sobbed silently. She didn't want Michael to follow her, but prayed he would anyway.

"What am I doing?" she questioned aloud.

The driver glanced into the rearview mirror and replied, "Je ne parle pas Anglais."

Looking out the mirror, she contemplated everything that had just occurred. This wasn't a normal case of cold feet she feared. She pulled her veil off and tossed into the seat beside her.

"La Maison de Fleurs, sil vous plait."

The driver nodded, and twelve minutes later, the car pulled into a circular drive in front of a large stone house. She grabbed her veil and opened the door.

"Merci beaucoup!" she thanked the driver. Pulling her shoes off, Mia ran up the steps and opened the door. She unzipped her suitcase in the foyer and pulled out a pair of blue sweatpants and a tee. Looking around, she peeled the very expensive dress off and left it in a pool on the floor. She slipped the garter off and tugged the sweatpants on. She donned the tee and ran upstairs. Grabbing her baseball cap and keys, Mia said goodbye to her life in Genovia.

Mia didn't have time to pack a bag, and since most of her clothing had most recently been purchased for her by Michael, she didn't feel right taking any of it. She pulled the baseball cap on after combing her fingers through her hair, shaking the pins out onto the floor. She glanced around the room again and then headed for the garage.

The shrill ring of a cell phone interrupted her reverie, however, and when she looked down at it, Michael's number flashed across the screen. Shutting it off, she slipped it back into her pocket and punched in a code to open the garage door. Sliding into her dark sedan, she cranked it up and allowed her thoughts to wander once more.


	2. One Ray of Sunlight

A/N: I hope this doesn't confuse you, but the following chapters will be Mia's reflections on her past. No Michael action in this chapter, but next chapter, it is nearly all Michael. Obviously, Mia doesn't know what Michael did before she met him, but it all happened at the same time. Please review if you like it and review if you don't. I would like to know that this story is worth finishing.

* * *

It was a brisk autumn day in Manhattan, and Amelia Thermopolis couldn't be happier. She was starting her first day of classes today, joined hopefully by her friend Tina. Tina and Mia had attended high school together at Albert Einstein High School. She finished combing her blonde hair and grabbed her bookbag. On the way out the door, her telephone rang.

"Hello?"

"Mia! It's Tina. I'm having a little bit of a crisis here. Do you think you could swing by on your way to class?"

Mia rolled her eyes, when was Tina not having a crisis?

"Sure, I'll be over in about ten minutes."

* * *

When Mia opened the door to Tina's dorm, she was greeted with a mass of clothing piled on the floor and both twin beds.

"Whoa, looks like a hurricane went through here," she said, stepping gingerly over a red sweater and other random items of clothing, "what's up?"

Tina, who was digging around in the closet for something, came up for air and said, "Can you please help me find something to wear to class today?"

"Well, are you looking for anything in particular?" Mia asked, eyeing the ever-growing mountain of clothes.

"Yes, no, well… I want to look good for my first class." When Mia rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically, Tina continued, "Hello? Have you seen the English professor? We have a major hottie on campus."

Mia smiled and helped Tina pick out an outfit. When she looked at the clock, she jumped up and grabbed her bag. She had about four minutes before class started.

"Tina, we've got to go, look what time it is."

Tina glanced at the clock and gasped. "But I haven't even found the perfect shoes!"

"No one will be looking at your feet, can you please just… here, put these on," she replied, grabbing a pair of ballet flats and thrusting them towards Tina.

"Geez Mia, it's not like we have to be there on time or anything. You know people are always walking in late on the first day of class."

"Tina, it's all about first impressions! If we show up late for this class, the instructor may think we're gonna show up late the rest of the year." Mia grabbed Tina's books and tossed them to her. "Let's go."

The two girls ran the entire way to class, nearly knocking over several people on bicycles and arrived with one minute to spare.

"Do you… think…. We made it?" Tina panted.

Mia bent over and tried to catch her breath before walking into the classroom. When the girls walked into the large lecture room, everyone turned and looked at them. Blushing furiously, Mia slunk to an empty seat, and Tina followed.

"I see the remainder of your classmates has decided to join you. Let's begin." The professor turned and began writing on the large black chalkboard.

Tina turned to Mia with a grin, "See, I told you he's a major hottie."

Mia sighed and whispered back, "Yes, but he also seems like a major jerk."

The instructor turned to face the class. "My name is Dr. Jameson. This is English 101, and you will be required to write at least four major essays before our time together is over." He wrote his name on the board. "My office is located in….."

The instructor continued to speak, but Mia was distracted when Tina tossed a note to her. Glancing at Dr. Jameson, she unfolded the scrap of paper.

_Do you think he has a brother?_

Mia smiled and crumpled the note up. She pulled out her notebook and began copying the information from the board.

"I would also like to introduce you to my TA, Judith Gershner. She will be assisting me with your essays and tests."

Mia stuck her tongue out slightly in distaste. Looking over at Tina, she saw a similar reaction. Mia pulled out a sheet of paper and scribbled, _I thought she went to Columbia._

Tina stretched her arms out beneath her and grabbed the note from Mia's hand. After reading the note, she shrugged her shoulders.

Judith took a clipboard off Dr. Jameson's podium and handed it to the girl sitting beside Mia. "Please sign your name on the seat you currently occupy. These are your assigned seats for the rest of the semester."

"And when you have finished, you are dismissed. Please read chapters one through six in your English handbook, and be prepared for a quiz," Dr. Jameson added.

Scrawling her name quickly, Mia passed the clipboard to Tina and scooped up her things. Half the class was empty before Tina had gathered all her belongings.

"Ah, Miss…Thermopolis," Dr. Jameson began, glancing at the chart, "I trust we will see you five minutes early on Wednesday? And you Miss Hakim Baba?"

Mia stammered out a "Yes sir" and turned to leave. As the girls were exiting the classroom, the instructor called out, "Oh, and girls? Try to leave the note passing at home, this isn't high school."

Tina gaped at him and Mia had to pull her out of the classroom.

"I told you he looked to be a bit of a jerk."

Tina giggled a little bit. "I guess, but he is still cute. I hope we have some cute guys in our next class."

"Psychology. I can't wait." Mia said sarcastically.

"Let's skip!" Tina replied.

"What? No, we can't do that, I mean, it's the first day! Just think of all the things we could be missing if we skip class."

Tina winked and said, "Yeah, but just think of all the things we could be missing if we don't skip. Besides, we could use this time to… rehearse, or you know, hang out with Ben and Jerry."

Mia groaned, "Aww, Tina, you just had to mention my two favorite men," she hesitated, "and I guess we could use some more time to set up the equipment."

Tina smiled gleefully. "I'm such a bad influence!"


	3. Can't Take It

A/N: Michael is a student at Columbia University, so, this next chapter takes place there. MM won't meet until the next chapter, but this kind of sets the scene up, so I couldn't leave it out. R/R please. Thank you.

Disclaimer: As much as I hate to admit it, I don't own the characters from PD. Meg Cabot does. Bleh.

* * *

"Michael, you should have seen these two girls that waltzed into Dr. Jameson's class late this morning. I think they may have gone to my high school, but can you imagine? I mean, who shows up late on the first day? It's a shame really. If that were my class, well, I'd just tell them…"

"Judith, please, not now." Michael grumbled, "I have to finish this problem set for Chem class or I'm gonna fail."

He turned to his computer and stared thoughtfully at the screen.

"Oh, please, you? Prince Michael Renaldo fail? I highly doubt it." Judith was sitting cross-legged on Michael's bed with a magazine. "Besides, didn't you just hear me? It's only the first day of class."

"Please don't remind me." He closed his notebook and stood up to stretch.

Judith looked up at him. "Are we still going to see that band play tonight?"

"Unless you can think of something better to do."

Judith glanced at him coyly. "Oh, I'm sure I can think of plenty of better things to do. We could stay in, maybe watch a movie."

Michael scoffed, "Oh, yeah, we can watch "My Best Friends Wedding" for the twentieth time. Nah, I think I'll pass. Besides, Grandmere has been hounding me about press opportunities. She wants me to be in the tabs so people know who I am."

Judith stuck her lip out and pouted for a second, but the chance of appearing on Page Six was just too appealing. "Well," she said, jumping off the bed, "I guess I have some shopping to do. Do you want me to help you pick out your outfit?"

Michael silently gagged, but forced a smile. "No, I think I can manage, but thanks."

Judith opened the door and waved goodbye. Michael held up his hand in acknowledgement but didn't get up from his seat. Spinning around in his seat, he got up and trudged to the closet. He pulled out a pair of khaki pants and his Ramones tshirt. They were slightly wrinkled, but would look fine he thought. He stood at his mirror and played around with his hair for a minute.

His concentration was broken when his cell phone rang. He looked at the screen and saw Judith's number blinking on the screen. "How did her number get in my phone?" he asked himself before answering, "Hello?"

"Hey Michael, I'm at my place, I remembered I already had my outfit picked out. So, I guess you can come by and pick me up whenever you get ready."

"Oh, yeah, I mean, sure."

"Okay, do you remember how to get to NYU? You can just hop on the Metro."

"Yeah, I remember."

"Okay, well, see you then!"

Judith hung up before he had a chance to reply. When Michael moved to New York City from Genovia, Grandmere had arranged for an "escort". Judith was the daughter of a friend of Grandmere's and had jumped at the chance to show him around. She had been dropping hints like crazy that she wanted to take the friendship further, but he was trying to ignore them, hoping she would get the point. No dice so far.

Michael ran his hands through his hair and slipped on his shoes. Grabbing his wallet, he walked out of the dormroom. He jogged to the subway station and felt around in his pocket for his MetroCard. "Next stop, NYU," he mumbled to himself.


	4. First Things First

**A/N: I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed so far: livingArtemis, lucyloveheart, i-luv-romance, Ahhhh, and niteowl-gal. Mia finally meets Michael in this chapter. R/R please.**

* * *

"Last one to the shop pays!" Tina yelled as she took off running towards the ice cream shop. 

"Ugh, please don't make me run! I have to save my energy for the show."

"Fine," Tina replied, whirling around. She skipped to where Mia was standing on the busy sidewalk. Linking arms with Mia, she pulled her into the crowded parlor.

"I can't believe we're skipping on the first day of class. If my mom finds out, I will be in so much trouble!" Mia exclaimed as they waited in line.

"I know, but isn't it great?"

When they got to the front of the line, Tina ordered a cup of Chocolate Raspberry Swirl, and Mia got a scoop of Mint Chocolate Chip. Grabbing some napkins, they skipped out of the store and sat down on a nearby park bench.

"Check that guy over there out." Tina said, pointing with her spoon.

Mia took a bite of her icecream and peeked over to the direction of Tina's spoon. "Mmm. Nice."

A man wearing a wrinkled Ramone's shirt and khaki's was looking around, as if he was searching for something. He cautiously approached the bench they were sitting on. Mia sat up a little straighter and hastily wiped the bit of ice-cream off her chin.

"Excuse me," he began, "I hate to interrupt you, but can you point me in the direction of New York University dorms?"

Tina looked over at Mia, who was speechless, and said, "Actually, we're students there. We were just about to head back to our dorms, so we could walk you there if you wanted us to."

She jabbed Mia with her elbow, and Mia stammered, "Oh, yeah, I mean if you don't mind. We could. Show you."

She looked over at Tina, who was getting up and blushed furiously.

"Sure, that would be great actually," he replied.

Tina shot a meaningful look at Mia, stuck her hand out and said, "I'm Tina."

"Oh, it's very nice to meet you, my name is Michael." He shook her hand, and looked down to where Mia was still sitting. "And you are…"

"Oh, sorry, Mia," she replied.

"Mia. It's very nice to meet you also, Mia." He stared down into her silver-gray eyes with his deep brown ones. He held out his hand to help her up.

She ignored it and stood up to face him. Tossing the remainder of her ice cream into the trash can, she wiped her hands on the front of her pants and said, "Well, I guess we'd better be going. It was nice meeting you."

Tina looked at her oddly. Before she could say a word, Mia took off in the direction of the campus.Tina looked at Michael apologetically and said, "She gets nervous sometimes I guess."

"Oh it's no problem. Now, how about showing me the way?"

"Sure thing."

* * *

Picking Judith up at the dorms was harder than Michael expected. He got completely lost once he got off the train. He walked with Tina until he got to Judith's building. 

"Well, this is my stop. Thanks a lot for walking with me." Michael said.

"No problem. Anytime." Tina replied. Turning on her heel, she began walking toward her building.

Michael rode the elevator to the third floor and scanned the hallways for Judith's room. He finally arrived at room 3021 and knocked on the door. After what seemed like an eternity, Judith opened the door and invited him in.

"Sorry, I know I said I would be ready, but you know…" Judith trailed off when she realized Michael wasn't paying attention.

"Michael."

"What? Oh, uh, sorry. I spaced out for a moment there, huh?"

"It's okay. I was just saying how I need about ten minutes before I'll be ready. You can have a seat, or use my computer while you're waiting if you want to." She turned and headed into the bathroom.

Michael flopped down on the computer chair and switched on her laptop. When the programs loaded, Michael cringed when he saw the desktop wallpaper. It was a picture of him with a red heart around his face. Looking around to see if Judith was nearby, he logged onto the internet and checked his Palace email. "Three new messages.." he mused quietly. Clicking on the first one, he saw Grandmere had dictated a letter to him.

_Michael,_

_I understand that you are to be going on a date with the Gershner girl tonight. While I am delighted that you have finally asked her out, I must warn you, we will not be having any sort of royal scandal going on while you are in America. I do not wish to see any negative publicity shots while you are out, is that clear?_

_HRM Clarisse Renaldo, Queen of Genovia_

Michael grimaced when he read the email. Clicking on the next one, he didn't fare much better.

_Michael,_

_I have just heard from Maman that you are dating that Gershner girl! It can't be true? I thought you disliked her immensely from the letters you have written. If it is not true, then I am breathing a sigh of relief. I simply cannot imagine an American marrying into the Royal family of Genovia! _

_Lilly_

Michael deleted the previous letters and opened the final email. It was a confirmation letter for his ticket to Genovia next month. He printed the confirmation and stuck it into his wallet. Judith appeared from the bathroom just as he was shutting the computer down.

She was wearing a short, black skirt and a sleeveless white top. Shiny and very tall heels completed the ensemble. "Do I look okay?" Judith asked as she whirled around for him to see the entire outfit.

Michael glanced her and nodded. He looked down at his own clothes. They were a very mismatched couple tonight.

"Okay, let me just grab my purse and then we can be on our way!" She shimmied to the closet and pulled out a beaded bag.

"Umm, Judith?"

"Yeah?" she answered breathily.

Michael frowned and said, "You may be a little uncomfortable in those shoes when we get there. There will probably be a lot of people there, so, you might have to move around a lot."

Judith glanced down at her feet and said, "Oh, I'm really good at walking in heels. I think I'll be fine."

He shrugged and opened the door for her. As they were walking to the elevator, Judith linked arms with Michael. He involuntarily looked at her with disgust. She didn't seem to notice, however and continued walking.


	5. After Hours

A/N: I just wrote the cutest little one shot. You guys should read it. I stayed up late last night playing Sonic the Hedgehog on Xbox instead of updating the story, but I didn't think you guys would mind. Thanks for all the great reviews, they mean so much to me. Sniff. Anyway, here is the next installment of Kissing Secrets, I'm trying to make the chapters longer so it doesn't turn out to be a fifty chapter story. R/R please!

Disclaimer: PD is Meg Cabot's. Not mine. Boo hoo.

P.S. **Ahhhh:** Judith is kind of creepy isn't she? She is one of my least favorite characters, so I am making her suffer. How wonderfully mean of me!

* * *

"Mia, what was up with you this afternoon?" Tina asked her, as she (Tina) hooked the strap of her bass guitar around her shoulder. 

Mia was fiddling with her guitar and didn't look up as she replied, "I don't know. I just got nervous I guess. Do you even know who that guy was?"

Tina plugged the guitar in and flipped on her amp. "No, who?"

Mia leaned forward a little bit and whispered, "He is the prince of Genovia."

"Genov-a-who?"

Mia dug around in her bag and pulled out a copy of Us Weekly. She opened it and handed it to Tina.

Tina's eyes bulged as she read the caption underneath the photograph.

"_Europe's hot new royal Prince Michael Renaldo is working on stealing the hearts of American girls this year as he studies at prestigious Columbia University. He already has ours!"_

"Europe's hot new ROYAL?" Tina fairly screamed.

"Shhh. Now you know why I acted so dumb around him."

"Well, if I had known he was a prince, I would have asked for his number."

Mia threw a pencil at her and laughed. "You would not. You would have been just as shocked as I was. I can't believe you didn't realize who he was! I thought you read the tabloids religiously."

"Well, I do," Tina admitted, "but I wasn't expected the prince of freakin' Genovia to be wearing a Ramones shirt and Chuck Taylors."

"Yeah, I know. Okay, I think I have the set list ready for tonight. Where are the others?"

Tina pointed towards the hallway. Mia strode to the doorway and called out, "Guys, it's almost go time!"

Everyone else consisted of a very shaggy lead vocalist named Jeff, a drummer named Greg, and keyboardist named Nick. They had all been friends in high school, but were a grade above Mia and Tina. They drifted in with groupies clinging to their arms.

"Hey Gregorio!" Mia greeted him as he kissed her cheek. "Alright, I'm pretty sure it's packed tonight. Anyone brave enough to take a peek?"

Jeff stopped making out with his arm candy long enough to raise his hand. "Um, yeah, I looked out about five minutes ago, it was filling up fast."

"Cool!" Tina exclaimed. She ran out into the hallway and peered out from behind the curtain. Struggling to push his way to the front, Michael pulled Judith along by her arm. Tina gasped. Running back into the dressing room, she pulled Mia aside and said, "Um, Mia, let's go into the bathroom and finish getting ready."

"What?" Mia said laughing, "I am ready."

"Just humor me please."

She followed Tina into the bathroom, where Tina pulled out her cosmetic bag. "Sit." Tina ordered her, pointing to the closed toilet lid.

Mia sat down. Feeling a bit confused, she looked up to Tina and asked, "What's going on?"

"Just trust me on this one." Tina pulled her eyeliner out and got to work. After lining and shadowing her eyes, she handed Mia a tube of lip gloss. "Put that on."

"Yes Ma'am." Mia replied, saluting.

Tina rolled her eyes and pulled Mia's hair out of her ponytail. She brushed Mia's hair out and pulled the top half back, securing it with a barrette. Standing back to admire her handiwork, she got to work on herself.

Jeff knocked on the door, "Um, fearless leader? It's time to go on."

"Shit!" Tina muttered. "Do I look okay?" she asked, turning to face Mia. She was wearing a green baby tee and lowrise jeans.

"Yeah, you look good." Mia glanced down at her own clothes, a hot pink Aerosmith shirt and jeans. "How about me?"

Tina stared thoughtfully at her. "I know what would complete your outfit. Here, wear my boots. Oh, and give me your flipflops."

"What? No, these are my lucky flip flops."

"Fine, whatever. Okay, are you ready?"

"Ready."

The girls hustled out of the bathroom and into the hallway, where the rest of the band was waiting. Nick was jumping up and down, pumping himself up, Jeff was still making out with Groupie Barbie, and Greg was twirling his drumsticks.

"Okay, sorry I didn't tell you guys sooner, but I changed the line up a little bit, we're switching song one and song three, I just think it will work the crowd up a bit more."

Everyone nodded and turned to head onto the stage.


	6. Hey Now Girl

A/N: I am seriously thinking about revamping that one-shot. I was delirious with lack of sleep when I wrote it and I have to agree that some of it seemed far-fetched. However, I didn't want it to be taken too seriously, I wanted to make it semi obvious that it was a dream. Anyway, this is one of my fave chapters so far. "I Call Your Name" is by the Beatles, "So I Fall Again" is Phantom Planet and "Be the Girl" is Aslyn. Go ahead and laugh, but I like that song, and do you know how hard it is to come up with a good girly song for Mia to sing? Anyway, here is another installment of my current pride and joy. Please RR. Thanks!

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Meg, the sitch belongs to ME! Ha ha ha!

* * *

Michael:

"What's the name of this band again?" Judith yelled into my ear. Turning my head slightly, I answered her, "They're called _Broken Glass._"

"Oh."

The house lights went down and the crowd started cheering. Five people walked onto the stage. Two girls and three guys. I squinted my eyes, because the girls looked like the chicks that I met this afternoon. Tia and Mimi. I think. No, wait, Mia and Tina. Yeah, that was it.

Mia walked up to the microphone and introduced the band.

"Hey, Michael, I know those girls!" Judith was saying, but I could barely hear her. I focused on what Mia was doing, watching her every move. She plugged her guitar in and adjusted her microphone. She looked hot in those jeans. The band started to play an old Beatles tune.

"Michael, did you hear me? I said I know those girls!"

I tore my gaze off Mia and faced Judith. "How do you know them?"

"Those are the girls I was talking about this afternoon!" Judith was shouting in my ear, nearly causing deafness. I nodded and turned back toward the stage.

"…_I never weep at night, I call your name"_

The song was over before I got to hear much more than the last line. Before I had much time to dwell on it, they began another song.

"_I can't say if this feeling coming over me is real, but I know it's something you can't steal, so I'll buy another problem to approach, sell a virgin lie that can't be touched, so I fall again…"_

Mia's guitar prowess was really amazing and Tina was rocking out. I felt something tug at my arm. I turned to see Judith with an angry look on her face.

"What's up?"

"Can we go? My feet are killing me!"

I had to laugh, "I told you not to wear those shoes. You said you could walk fine in heels. Why don't you just take them off?"

Judith shook her head. "Are you kidding me? Do you know what kind of shoes these are?"

When I said no, Judith continued, "These are Donna Karan. I can't just take them off, what if I lose them?"

I shrugged and turned back to the music. The lineup had changed a little bit; Mia had shifted to the middle of the stage and the guy that was singing had pulled up a stool. Judith stormed away from me and parked herself at the bar.

* * *

Mia:

I can't believe how crowded this place is. I'm almost a little nervous about the song coming up. Jeff suggested that I sing this time around since I had a better girly voice than he does. I'm just glad these lights blind me to what's going on in the front row. I looked over at Tina. She grinned back at me and Nick began playing the song.

"_You look at me, curious what I'm made of, sugar or steam, and what kind of man I love, what I believe, what I know and what I crave, and all my pet peeves…"_

The lights dimmed a little and I was able to see the front row. I faltered on the last bit of the first verse and skipped right to the chorus when I saw who was standing there, jamming along to the music. Prince Michael Renaldo. I glanced over at Tina. She winked at me and I snapped out of the split second panic attack I was having.

"_Cuz I'm not here to be around, be that girl that you forget about, cuz all I want is to be a song that you can feel longer than just right now, so come on baby let me be the girl that you can count on to rock your world, and then you'll see there's so much more than curves, then you'll see that you and me belong…"_

I managed to finish the song without staring at Michael the entire time. When I played the last note, I stepped back behind my mike and Jeff took over for the rest of the set. I was distracted and it showed. My playing went from awesome to mediocre in a matter of minutes. I could feel his gaze on me for the rest of the show.

As we were walking off stage, I grabbed Tina's arm. "Are you crazy? Why didn't you tell me HE was here tonight?"

Tina pulled her arm free from my vice grip and laughed. "Are you kidding? The look on your face when you realized what was going on was priceless."

I wrinkled up my nose and stuck my tongue out. "Alright, come on Mistress of Pain, it's time to set up our table and try to sell some more of those damn cds."

"Hang on. I just want to freshen up a bit. It gets really hot under those lights."

On second thought, if I was going to have any more close encounters with royalty, I might want to think about putting some more deodorant on and wiping the sweat off my face. I followed Tina to the bathroom.

I was almost to the door, when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Whirling around to face them, I almost fell on my ass when I realized who was standing before me.


	7. From Me to You

A/N: I finally got around to doing the updating thing, and you all should know that all those fab reviews motivate me even more to update. So, here is chapter seven. Enjoy and review please. Thank you.

Disclaimer: There really shouldn't be anyone out there who doesn't know who owns the PD series. Meg Cabot. If you haven't read her books, then what are you doing on FF? Go! Read them! And then come back and enjoy my lovely story.

* * *

Michael:

When the show ended, I hurried to the backstage area. I heard Tina's voice and followed it down the hallway. Mia was running into the restroom before I stopped her. I think I might have scared her a little, she nearly fell backwards turning to face me.

"What are you doing back here?" she asked, slightly amused.

"I showed them my ID. It's amazing what people will do for you when you…"

She cut me off before I could finish. "When you're royalty. Right, that was a stupid question."

Shifting my weight, I said, "Well, actually I was going to say when you are nice to the security guards, but yeah, I guess that could have something to do with it."

Her face turned an interesting shade of crimson and she tried to turn and step into the bathroom. "Wait, I just wanted to ask you something."

She faced me again, and then her attention turned to the left side of me. I heard the approaching clicks of high heels. There was only one person I know that wore heels to a club. Judith.

She put her hand on my shoulder. My speech faltered and Mia disappeared into the ladies room.

"Michael, can we please get out of here? I think my toes are going to fall off."

I sighed and consented. One last glance toward the swinging door revealed Mia, standing in the doorway with a resigned look on her face. It was probably identical to the one I was wearing as I walked Judith home.

When we arrived at the entrance of her building, she invited me in, but I begged off, saying I had a class to attend early in the morning. It was true, but I wasn't letting Mia off the hook that easily. I hailed a cab and rode back to the club.

The place was nearly empty, but I saw Mia and the others hanging out at a folding table. I strode confidently up to the table, but didn't get a chance to speak.

"Oh, look who it is!" Tina said. "It's the guy from the sidewalk this afternoon."

Mia looked at her murderously. I gave Tina a nod and my "Diplomatic Half-Smile" before turning my attention to Mia.

"Can I buy a cd?" I asked her.

She looked surprised at my question, but handed over a disc in a paper sleeve. I dug around in my pockets for some cash, but she waved off my offer of money.

"Don't worry about it, it's on me."

"Oh, well, thanks. Can I get the band to sign it for me?"

Mia cocked her head to the side with a whimsical look on her face. "Hardly anyone ever asks us to do that."

"Well, one day, when all of you are rich and famous, I can look back and say I knew you when."

She pulled out a sharpie marker and scrawled Mia T. on the front of the cd. I took it from her outstretched hands and approached the rest of the band. They all took turns signing my cd, and I put the disc in my back pocket before approaching Mia again. She was whispering something into Tina's ear. When I walked up, the girls glanced at me, and Tina made herself scarce. She leaned forward on the table and asked, "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Grinning, but nervous as hell, I said, "Sure, I lost my number, can I have yours?"

Mia rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Does that lame line ever work?"

"Actually," I replied, "I've never really had to use a pickup line on anyone, so I'm not really sure."

Mia sat back in her chair, crossed her arms and leveled a glare at me. "Oh, yeah, I forgot. You're royalty. You're probably used to girls prostrating themselves before you."

My jaw dropped clear to the floor. Placing my hand over my heart, I sagged a little and said, "You wound me with your charming but incorrect assumptions."

Mia looked a little uncomfortable. She shifted in her chair and offered me an apologetic smile. "Sorry, sometimes my mouth acts before I have time to stop it."

What an interesting thought.

* * *

Mia:

I almost feel ashamed of myself for what I just said to Michael. Here I am, lowly college freshman, working a merchandise table, and I continue to insult someone who could quite possibly be the hottest guy I have ever seen.

I must have drifted into my thoughts because the next thing that he said was, "Like what you see?"

Shit! I was staring. Full fledged, drool dripping down my chin, staring at him. I looked down quickly and pretended to be straightening a stack of cds. When I looked up, he was gazing down at me. Oh, I could get lost in the depths of his eyes.

He laughed. Great, I must look like a full-on idiot right now.

"Look, I just came back by to see if maybe you wanted to have a drink with me later in the week."

Damn those underage drinking laws! "Sorry, I can't. I'm only 19."

"Well, how bout coffee then?"

Tina, who was obviously eavesdropping from the other end of the table, spoke up for me. "She'd love to. How about Thursday?"

He looked at Tina, then back to me with a grin on his face. "So? How about it?"

I threw my hands up in the air in mock exasperation. "Sure, why not?"

"Can I get your number then?"

"Since you lost yours, right?"

He chuckled, "Right."

I scribbled my cell phone number on a spare napkin and handed it to him. "That's my number; you can just call me whenever you are ready to meet me."

"Will do." With that, he turned and walked away. I faced Tina and held my arms out to strangle her.

"Mia! He totally likes you!"

"Oh, yeah right. He'll never call me."


	8. Sorry Sorry

A/N: I have been toying with the idea of setting up a site so I can finish my story there, since it will, in later chapters, be chock-full-o song lyrics that I didn't write. Hmmm, what to do, what to do… Anyway, this chapter is completely lyric free, so I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Sorry about the length, the chapters will get longer, I promise.

Disclaimer: As always, Meg Cabot, blah blah blah, owns PD, blah blah blah.

Oh yeah. Review please. Pretty please?

* * *

Michael:

I made plans to call Mia the very next day, placing her number on my desk next to my computer. I had to wake up early because Judith was coming over so I could help her study Bio. I slipped my shoes off my feet and flopped back onto the bed. Closing my eyes, I saw Mia's face. I sighed and heaved myself off the bed. Sitting at my desk, I pulled up my email.

_Dear Lilly,_

_For only being my cousin, you are very nosy. I don't mind though. At least someone around here has some sense. I am absolutely not dating that _Gershner girl_ as everyone so eloquently puts it. She is a tour guide and nothing more. I am about to go to bed, but I wanted to tell you that I met a girl tonight. She is amazing and the best part? She doesn't throw herself at me because I am royalty. Actually, it's the opposite. _

_Michael_

I sent the email and turned off the computer monitor. After I switched the lights out, I fell onto the bed once more.

When I woke up the next morning, I found Judith standing above me, shaking me awake. Frowning slightly, I asked her, "How did you get in here?"

She backed away from me and sat down on the computer chair. "You left your door unlocked. I knocked, but nobody answered, so I just came in."

There was no telling how long Judith had been in my room unsupervised. Forgetting all about the napkin on the desk, I pulled myself out of the bed.

"I guess you made a new friend last night." Judith stated. Her tone bordered on jealousy.

"What makes you say that?"

She motioned to the number sitting next to the computer. "Someone gave you their phone number."

I can't believe how intrusive this girl is. I reached over and grabbed the paper, shoving it into my pants pocket.

"Well?"

I shrugged noncommittally and unzipped my bookbag. I pulled out my Biology textbook and notes. Looking directly at Judith, I asked her, "Where's your book?"

* * *

Mia: 

Two days later, here I am sitting by the phone waiting for Him to call me. I knew I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up, but after that Kenny fiasco in high school, I was really excited that Michael seemed interested in me. Every time the phone rings, my heart starts pounding furiously, like it's trying to escape my body, and my hands get sweaty. Then, when I finally get the courage to answer the phone, it turns out to be Tina or my mom. Life sucks.

The phone rang just as I was getting ready to go out with Tina. I tried to answer with a nonchalant "Hello?" but I'm pretty sure it came across as "single girl, desperate for a phone call from you."

"Hey, I meant to call you the other day but…" he trailed off.

I was at a loss for words, after a few seconds of silence, I finally answered with, "Oh, it's fine. It's not like I've been sitting around waiting for you to call me or anything."

I slapped my hand across my mouth as soon as the words left it. Did I just say that?

He kind of laughed and said, "I'm really sorry. Listen, the reason I'm calling is to ask you if you would like to…"

"I'd love to." I blurted out. My God, what is with the verbal diarrhea? "I'm sorry," I quickly recovered, "there's uh, my friend Tina, she asked me a question. What were you going to say?" I groaned inwardly at my lame attempt to salvage some dignity.

He cleared his throat, "Well, I know this great little place halfway between us, and I know we said Thursday, but I was wondering, maybe we could get together this afternoon."

Silently screaming praise to the angels above me, I twirled the phone cord around my fingers and took a few moments to contemplate this suggestion. Don't seem too eager. You have act like you are minimally interested.

"Well, I have an essay to write for my English class, but I guess I could put it off till tonight." I crossed my fingers as I let the tiny lie slip from my mouth.

"Well, I can help you with it if you would like me to."

"No, it's really not a big deal. More like an introduction than anything. So, where am I supposed to meet you?"

"Well, my friend was telling me how she wanted to take me to Serendipity 3, but I thought I would have more fun going with you."

Mmmm. Frrozen hot chocolate. I can't wait. Trying not to salivate into the receiver, I agreed to meet him in two hours. I've got to call Tina.


	9. I'm a Terrible Person

A/N: Don't get used to this, but I am updated twice in one day! Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews, they are great.

Schwartzibrow: I'm not sure that this chapter will save you from the brink, you'll just have to read and find out. And update your story! I'm dying to hear more of Michael's thoughts as he realizes his calling! ;)

Disclaimer: Meg Cabot owns PD. Enough said.

* * *

Michael:

I looked up at the clock. I have two hours to get dressed and meet her there. I should have enough time for a quick game of Sonic the Hedgehog right? Flipping on the television, I switched the console on and grabbed the controller. I was on the second level when my phone rang. Muttering a curse, I snatched the cordless phone off the receiver and answered, "Hello?"

"Michael. Hey, it's Judith. Your grandmother wanted me to call you and remind you about the ball tonight. She wanted you to meet her at Chanel for your fitting."

"Shit," I muttered. I should have called Mia and explained everything to her right away, but some part of me thought I would still have time to make it to Serendipity 3.

Judith continued rambling about her dress and asked me what time I was going to pick her up. My head snapped up as I asked sharply, "What?"

"Remember? Your grandmother said you were escorting me. So, what time are you going to be here?"

I silently cursed the gods above me and fell onto the bed. "I'll call you later." I disconnected before she had a chance to make a reply. God, how am I going to explain this to Mia without coming across as an arrogant bastard?

* * *

Mia:

Tina rushed over and we spent nearly the entire two hours getting myself ready. By the time I arrived at the shop, I was five minutes late, and I hurried in, prepared to explain my tardiness. When I glanced around the restaurant, there was no sign of Michael.

I was shown to a table by the window, where I remained for almost forty-five minutes. Finally, I gave up and signaled the waiter to bring my check. I paid and sat for another thirty minutes, praying that he was just running really late. My phone beeped, and I flipped it open to see a new text message.

_Where r u? _

I sighed and wrote back.

_I'm still here. He didn't show._

I was standing outside the place when my phone rang.

"Hello?"

"What do you mean he didn't show? How long did you wait for him? Are you sure he said to meet him there?"

Tina stopped to take a breath. "Did he call you to say he would be late?"

I shook my head, unable to speak for fear I might burst into tears.

"Mia? Are you there? I'm coming over. I'll meet you at your room."

I hung up the phone and walked dejectedly to the nearest subway entrance.

When I got to my room, Tina was waiting outside in the hallway, armed with a pint of Ben and Jerry's and a couple spoons.

"I brought comfort in a can," she offered lamely.

"Thanks."

We settled ourselves on the floor and turned on the television. Tina turned the volume down and said, "Do you want to talk about it?"

I shook my head vehemently. Tina turned the volume back up and we sat watching E! for a while. The E! News began, and a shot of the Plaza hotel entrance was on the screen. I cradled my chin in my hand and was about to shut it off, when something caught my eye. Or should I say, someone.

Tina gasped and stared, slack-jawed at the screen. Standing there, with camera flashes surrounding him, was Michael, with Judith beside him in a black dress.

We stared in amazement as the field correspondent yelled out questions for the glowing couple.

* * *

Michael:

"Prince Michael! Over here!"

I grimaced and was led, more like dragged, to the E! News correspondent by Judith. Once in position, I smiled painfully and politely responded to the reporter's questions.

"Are you enjoying your time in America so far?"

"Yes, it's great actually; I've made a few friends here, so I think I am adjusting well under the circumstances."

"I see you have made a few friends, would you like to introduce your date to us?"

I smiled briefly and shook my head. Moving on, we were stopped by three more television reporters and countless photographers. I prayed Mia wasn't the type of girl who watched things like that and read the gossip magazines. My picture was sure to be plastered on the front of every major tabloid publication.

I suffered through innumerable introductions and a few dances. While standing near the hors d'oeuvres, Lilly approached me.

"So, I take it you were coerced into attending this event as well?"

"Mm-hmm. Grandmere even arranged my date for the evening."

Lilly looked over to where Judith was standing. "Ah, of course, you brought her. So," she inched closer to me and continued in a hushed voice, "who is this girl you were telling me about?"

I winced and replied, "I think I may have already blown it with her. I was supposed to meet her this afternoon for coffee, but Grandmere called and demanded that I honor my previous engagement."

"You didn't call her?"

"Call who?" Judith, apparently bored with her conversation with the Genovian PM, had sidled her way into the conversation.

"Oh, just someone I was going to help with English." It wasn't a lie, exactly. Mia did say she had an essay to write.

"Oh, that's nice. Ooh, the band is playing. It would be great to be out on the dance floor." She looked at me meaningfully.

Lilly raised an eyebrow and turned away to hide the smirk on her face. I held out my arm and escorted Judith to the dance floor.

A/N: It's me again. I know you are all probably thinking, "Judith is such a publicity whore!" Well, it's true. It's also true that I'm a review whore, so feed my addiction and review please!


	10. Recently Distressed

**A/N: Hey, I'm back to give all of my wonderful reviewers a little present. A longer chapter! It means a lot to me that you guys take the time to review for me, thanks.**

**Schwartzibrow: Heh heh, you think Judith should be destroyed? Here's the next best thing. **

**Disclaimer: Meg Cabot owns PD.**

* * *

Mia:

On Friday, I still hadn't heard anything from Michael, so I resigned myself to the fact that he probably wouldn't ever call me. I had to meet Tina before English to discuss our assignment. I have a sinking suspicion that I was supposed to have a rough draft of an essay ready to turn in.

I got to class about ten minutes before it started. Tina was already there, paper in hand.

"You forgot didn't you?

"Yup." I plopped down in my seat and pulled out a piece of notebook paper.

"What are you going to do?"

I began scribbling on the paper. "I don't know. I guess I'll just have to talk to Dr. Jameson about it."

Tina looked toward the door, where Judith was entering with Dr. Jameson. She tossed her hair and laughed at a remark he made.

The rest of the class trickled in slowly, and at five minutes after nine, Judith began collecting all the rough drafts. She passed me and looked at me questioningly. I shook my head slightly and she moved on to Tina. The rest of the class was a blur, and before I knew it, everyone was getting up to leave.

"Miss Thermopolis. I'd like to speak to you after class please."

Shit. It's only the third class and I have already been held back twice. I sighed and gathered my things.

"I noticed you didn't turn in your rough draft. Any particular reason why?"

I shuffled my feet and looked down. "Well, I've had a lot going in the past few days, and I forgot."

He sighed and said, "Try to get it to me by the end of the day. I'll be in my office until 4 this afternoon."

I smiled and told him I would bring it to him. When I got to Psychology, Dr. Fordham was writing on the whiteboard. I hurried to my seat and Tina looked over at me. She pulled out a sheet of paper and scrawled, _What happened?_

I shrugged my shoulders and began copying notes in my notebook.

We went our separate ways after Psych, but I promised to meet Tina in the library after class.

An hour later, I was walking through the library doors when someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to face them and was greeted with a very sorrowful expression on the face of Michael Renaldo.

* * *

Michael:

I sat on the bench in front of the library for twenty minutes, hoping to catch a glimpse of Mia. I really wanted to apologize for my behavior.

She breezed past me in a crowd of students, and I stood up to get her attention. When I tapped her on the shoulder, she whirled around with a smile on her face. Her smile quickly faded when she realized who was standing before her.

"Prince Renaldo."

Shit. Back to square one I guess. "Mia. I came by because I wanted to apologize for what happened the other day."

She feigned ignorance for a moment and said, "I don't know what you mean. Oh, you mean when you left me at Serendipity for nearly two hours without calling me? That? Because, you know, I had totally forgotten about it. Really." She smiled and turned to go.

I caught her arm and closed the distance between us. "Look, I really am sorry. It's just, I was getting ready and everything, and then Judith called to remind me about the function I was supposed to go to."

She looked up at me like she was trying to decide if I was telling the truth. Finally she broke her gaze and said, "I've gotta go. I have a rough draft due to my professor by the end of the day."

"English?"

"Yeah."

I thought about it for a second and then volunteered my services. In a strictly pupil-tutor sense. She agreed, and I held the door open for her to enter. Once settled at a table in the back corner of the building, she pulled out her notebook and a pencil. Her cell phone beeped and she flipped it open to answer.

* * *

Mia:

I was just getting situated when Tina text messaged me.

_M- Something came up. I can't meet u in lib._

Yeah, something sure did come up. I looked around to see if I could spot Tina. She was probably hiding in the stacks somewhere, spying. I sent her a reply message.

_Call me later._

I shut my phone off and looked up at Michael. He was gazing off into space somewhere. I was writing my introduction when Michael looked up at me. I could feel my cheeks heat up, and a thought crossed my mind.

"So Judith, is she your girlfriend?"

He looked confused for a second, and then a look of revulsion passed over his face.

"Hell no," he paused, "sorry. I didn't mean it to come out that way. She's the daughter of a friend of my grandmother's."

I looked down at my paper. "So, why does she always seem to show up?"

He shrugged his shoulders and looked away. "She keeps dropping hints, but I try to just ignore her. She likes the limelight too much. I'd prefer to keep a low profile."

He clapped his hands together and said, "Okay, let's get you fixed up. What is your essay going to be about?"

I hadn't thought that far ahead. "I think the assignment was to write a narrative essay, so I guess I can write about anything."

We sat in the library for about two hours, working on my essay. For someone not born in America, Michael has a very firm grasp of the English language. I stood up to stretch and he looked up at me.

"So, after you turn your paper in, would you care to join me for some coffee?"

I contemplated this for a moment. "Are you going to show up this time?"

He sat back and held his hand across his heart. "I promise. I'll even walk you there."

I grinned. Thrusting my hand out, I said, "Deal."

He took my outstretched hand in his and shook it. Tingles ran up and down my spine when my skin came in contact with him. I attributed it to the fact that I hadn't eaten since this morning. There's no way that was him. It was static electricity.

_Just keep telling yourself that. There is no way someone like him would fall for someone like you._

My mind, spoken in the voice of Lana Weinberger, what a wonderful thing to have.

We walked side by side to Dr. Jameson's office and I shot him a nervous grin. He gave me the thumbs up. I knocked lightly, and then opened it.

The sight before me will forever be etched upon my brain. Dr. Jameson was sitting in his chair, and Judith was sitting in his lap. They looked up in surprise and Judith jumped up quickly.


	11. I So Hate Consequences

A/N: Here ya go, a chapter that is a bit longer than the ones I have been posting lately. At the rate things are going, this is gonna be a LONG story, but I am going to try and shorten it up a little, just so it doesn't take me a year to post it. Thanks for all the GREAT reviews! You guys rock! R/R. Please.

* * *

Michael:

I could tell Mia was shocked, and I was right there with her. Judith smoothed her skirt down and hightailed it out of Dr. Jameson's office.

Mia set her paper on the desk, turned, and walked out of the room. I followed her after a second.

"What the hell was that?" She asked me.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"Wow. I'm actually at a loss for words." She looked up at me. "I guess that means she won't be dropping hints anymore."

"Not to me anyway," I winked at her. We walked down the sidewalk and ended up at a Starbucks.

Sipping our drinks, we sat in awkward silence for about ten minutes. Finally, I broke the ice. "So, what are you studying at NYU?"

She shrugged. "I'm not really sure yet. I've been thinking about English, but things have been going so well with the band lately, I'm not sure what I want to do."

"So, are you guys working on a record deal or something?"

She choked on her drink a little, wiped her mouth and replied, "Oh, God no. At least not yet. We're just trying to get a good following. What do you want to do?"

I raised my eyebrow at her question.

"Sorry, it's just, I keep forgetting that you're a prince. I mean, you act like a normal person."

"I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or an insult."

"Oh, no! I didn't mean anything bad by it. I mean, I expected a prince to be all "bow down before me" but you seem pretty cool." She looked down, and I could tell she was blushing.

"You seem pretty cool too." I leaned forward, "What are you doing tonight?"

* * *

Mia:

"_What are you doing tonight?"_ It was a simple question, but I couldn't get my brain in gear. What AM I doing tonight.

"Umm, I'm not sure. I think I have a show tonight. You could come if you wanted to. To the show, I mean." Bad Mia! Not on the first date!

My gaze wandered over his face, down the front of his shirt, and to the edge of the table, where I could see nothing else. I quickly averted my eyes before he caught me staring.

"I'll definitely be there."

I smiled at him, but a thought struck me. "You have to promise to stay hidden though."

He looked a bit confused, "Why? I don't think the bouncer is going to let the paparazzi in with their cameras."

"You make me nervous," I confessed, "I won't be able to play as well if I know you are there."

He grinned widely and nodded, "I promise."

He walked me back to my room, where I gave him the address of the venue we were playing. After he had gone, I rushed to the window and watched him walk down the sidewalk. Grabbing the phone, I called Tina with the news.

She, of course, wanted to hear every detail, but since the band needed to rehearse, she made me promise to tell her everything when we were finished.

After I hung up with Tina, I called Mom to let her know I was coming home for the weekend. I pulled on my jeans and my lucky flip flops, grabbed my cell phone, and headed out the door.

* * *

Michael:

After my egregious error, oh who am I kidding? I fucked up royally, but Mia was sweet enough to give me a second chance.

I had checked my calendar earlier, so I knew there weren't any royal functions planned for this weekend. I wondered if I should call Lilly up; she would probably enjoy going to a concert and would be able to give me advice.

I was pulling out my cell phone, when it rang shrilly in my hand.

"Hello?"

"Michael?" It was Judith. Damnit.

"Yeah," I growled, frustrated that she had gotten my cell phone number.

"It's, uh, it-it's Judith. I'm having a bit of a problem. Can I come by later? I wanted to talk to you."

She sounded so desperate, I nearly felt bad about having to turn her away. I looked at my alarm clock. 4:35. I needed to be in line at the club by 6:30 at the latest if I wanted to get in.

"It's really important."

Her final plea broke me down as it stirred a bit of compassion up. "Alright, but I have plans, and I have to be gone by 6:00."

"Okay, I'm headed that way now."

I hung up with Judith and then quickly called Lilly. She would be great to use as a safeguard against Judith's potential advances. Besides, I wanted to invite her to see Mia perform with me.

Lilly agreed to come over, and before I knew it, she was tapping on my dorm-room door.

"Hello Michael, it's good to see you. Even if it is under the most unusual circumstances. Still, I'm glad I could help you."

"You're not glad to help me, you're just curious to find out who Mia is."

She smiled and with a guilty shrug said, "I guess you know me too well."

Lilly sat down on my computer chair and was checking her email when Judith knocked on the door.

I strode to the door and opened it wide enough to allow Judith through. She shut the door behind her. I don't think she saw Lilly, because she flung herself into my arms. As she sobbed into the front of my shirt, I looked over to Lilly for assistance. She hid a small smile behind her hand, and then stood up. Judith, noticing movement, loosened her solid grasp of the fabric of my shirt, and wiped the tears off her face with her free hand.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have burst in like that, I didn't realize you had company." Judith was glancing back and forth between me and Lilly.

Lilly put her hand out and introduced herself. Judith seemed to gain a little composure when she realized Lilly was my cousin.

"What's going on?" I asked her quietly.

She pulled a crumpled tissue out of her pocket and blew her nose. Her eyes started to tear up, and I had to guide her to a seat before she began talking.

"I-I-think I may be expelled from school." She finally sputtered.

I wasn't exactly surprised. After all, she had to know she was bound to get caught sometime. It was a dumb question to ask, but I continued anyway.

"Why?"

She sniffled. "Dr. Jameson said that if Mia goes to the Dean, he could lose his job, and I might be expelled."

"So, what does that have to do with me?"

"Well," she began shakily, "I wanted to ask you if you two wouldn't say anything to anyone about what you saw."

I sat quietly for a minute. "Judith, it isn't my place to agree to that. I will talk to Mia tonight and…"

"So, you're seeing her now?" she exclaimed tearfully.

I looked at Lilly out of the corner of my eye. She "accidentally" bumped my lamp with her elbow, sending it crashing to the floor.

Thankful for the distraction, I hustled Judith to the door and promised to call her with the news in the morning.


	12. Mmhmm

A/N: TWO reviews? Was the chapter that boring? But a huge Thank you Schwartzibrow and LOLO rox for your fantastic reviews! This chapter is the longest yet. It is also a tribute to one of my favorite bands. I have loved Relient K since I saw them playing in Jacksonville about four years ago, so when I heard them on the radio, I jumped for joy. Brian, you rock, I love you! First things First- Phantom Planet, Yellow Submarine- Beatles, High of 75 and Maintain Consciousness- Relient K. Summer session has begun, so I might not have as much time to update as I am taking about six classes.

Disclaimer: Meg Cabot owns PD. All songs are copyright their respective owners as noted above.

Oh yeah, read and review PLEASE!

* * *

Mia:

I peeked around the curtain about ten minutes before we were supposed to walk on the stage and was pleasantly surprised to see the place was getting crowded. I scanned the crowd for any sign of Michael. He was either doing what I asked him to do (staying hidden) or hadn't shown. Determined not to let anything get me down, I walked backstage and tugged on Tina's sleeve.

"It's time!"

She turned and grinned at me. The rest of the group pulled us in for a pre-show huddle.

"It's my turn," Nick began. "I just want to say, you guys are the best-est friends a guy could ask for." He wiped an imaginary tear off his cheeks and smiled. "Now let's rock the house!" He yelled enthusiastically.

Everyone cheered and we made our way to the stage. Tina held me back a little and asked, "Is he here?"

I shrugged. "I guess I'll find out after the show."

I have to admit that with all the drama surrounding my near-date with the prince of small European principality, mixed with the stress of a late English assignment and the shock of finding my TA sitting on the lap of the professor she was supposed to be assisting, didn't leave me much time for rehearsals with the band. Jeff and the others had been working on a couple of new songs, but it was nothing I couldn't handle.

The crowd was amazing when we finally took the stage. I glanced down at my feet to make sure the songlist was taped to the floor in front of me. Someone whistled loudly and I looked up to see girls waving enthusiastically at Jeff. I turned slightly and asked him out of the corner of my mouth if he knew them.

He winked at me and nodded at one of them. She screamed his name and I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. I plugged my guitar in and slipped the strap over my shoulder.

* * *

Michael:

Lilly and I were a bit early, so we sat at the bar and had a drink. I saw Mia peek out from behind the curtain, and I slouched down a little, keeping my end of the bargain. Lilly drained the last of her beer from the mug and I motioned to her to follow me. We fought our way through the crowd, stopping behind a group of girls holding a banner that read "We luv u Jeff n Nick!"

Broken Glass appeared on the stage and one of the girls in front of me screamed to the lead singer. I glanced at Lilly, who made a show of rolling her eyes and gagging herself.

Mia stepped up the microphone and Jeff introduced the band to the crowd. I turned to Lilly to ask her something, but the moment I opened my mouth to speak, the music began.

"_You should get your story straight before I start to doubt it,_

_cuz if you've worn your lipstick off I wanna hear about it…"_

Lilly was bouncing to the beat of the song. When she noticed I was watching her, she leaned in toward me and said, "They're pretty good so far."

I nodded my agreement and turned my attention back to the stage. Mia was playing with a look of determined concentration.

"_I'm holding you by the hand,_

_more like the nape of your neck,_

_why don't you draw up a list you have to frequently check, _

_and put some things in order,_

_then lose it in your purse,_

_first things first…"_

I let my gaze wander around the crowd. A tall, skinny boy was at the foot of the stage, gazing up at Mia adoringly. On the other side, where Tina was, stood a bulky man wearing a sport jacket and looking around at the crowd menacingly. I could the faint outline of what looked like a handgun.

I inched uneasily to the opposite side of the room with Lilly in tow. We found a good spot by the wall. The view of Mia was blocked slightly by a tower of speakers, but then she shifted to the front of the stage.

"_We were talking together,_

_I said "what's up with this weather?"_

_don't know whether or not,_

_how sad I just got,_

_was of my own volition,_

_or if I'm just missing the sun._

_And tomorrow I know will be rainy at best,_

_and the forecast I know is that I'll be depressed,_

_but I'll wait outside,_

_hoping that I'll catch sight of the sun…"_

Lilly nudged me with her elbow and nodded toward Tina. She had spotted me, and was alternating dirty looks at me and Lilly. I waved to her and she quickly looked away.

"_Because on and off, the clouds have fought for control over the sky. _

_And lately the weather has been so bi-polar, and consequently so have I._

_But now I'm sunny with a high of 75,_

_since you took my heavy heart and made it light._

_And it's funny how you find you enjoy your life, _

_when you're happy to be alive…"_

I was glad that Mia hadn't spotted me before I had a chance to explain myself and introduce Lilly to her. So, unfortunately, I wasn't paying attention to the fact that Mia was gazing directly at me until Lilly dug her elbow into my ribs again. A look of anger and confusion clouded her face for a moment, but she turned back to face the crowd.

"_And the temperature is freezing,_

_and then after dark there's a cold front,_

_sweeping in over my heart._

_And we might break up,_

_if I don't wake up to the sun."_

The song ended and Mia slid back to her original position as Jeff took over the microphone.

* * *

Mia:

I was in the middle of my song, when I noticed Tina shooting killer looks toward the side of the club. Thinking it was her ex-boyfriend Dave, I glanced over to see Michael standing next to a short, dark-haired girl. She poked him in the side, and he looked to me. Anger slowly seeped in, followed closely by confusion. She didn't look like Judith from here, but I couldn't make out a face because of the stage-lights.

I finished the song and went back to my microphone to complete the set. I was only vaguely aware of what was being played as thoughts raced through my mind.

"Earth to Mia!"

I snapped out of my musings and looked over at Jeff, who was staring expectantly at me. I blushed furiously and began the next song. I looked back at Greg, who was grinning at me.

"_Our concentration it contains a deadly flaw  
Our conversations change from words to blah, blah, blah  
We took prescription drugs but look how much good that did  
Well I think I had a point, but I just got distracted_

This song was currently one of my favorites on the play list and described how I was feeling perfectly. Distracted. Completely distracted by a mop of brown hair and peat bog eyes.

"_Lately it just seems to me  
Like we've got the letters A.D.D.  
Branded into our mentality  
We simply can't focus on anything…"_

I can hardly concentrate on playing this song, much less singing along with the chorus. I looked over at Tina, but she was playing with her full attention.

"Because its  
17, 18, 19 routine  
And here at 23 it's the same old me  
And that one thing of the moment  
That we all happen to like will  
Only very temporarily  
Kinda break the cycle  
Of the double edged sword  
Of being lazy and being bored  
We just want more and more and more  
Till it's all we can afford…"

I wonder who that girl is that he brought with him. Maybe it's his sister. No, the magazines keep reporting him as an only child. Surely he wouldn't bring a date when he was so intent on dating me. Or was he? Was he just playing a game with me, just to prove that he could? Is he really that kind of person? 

"To keep our eyes open for just one more day  
To keep on hoping that we'll stumble on a way  
To keep our minds open for just one more day  
Cause it's completely up to us  
To maintain consciousness

Well no one can possibly listen to this  
More than 4 reps is just monotonous  
We're losing interest, losing interest, losing interest"

We finally finished the set after a very touching rendition of "Yellow Submarine." I hurried off the stage and into the dressing room. Tina was there, with a brush in her hand, and a worried look on her face. I sat on the bench and wiped the sweat off my face with a washcloth.

"Can you hand me my deodorant?"

Tina wordlessly passed it to me.

"I'm starving!" Greg exclaimed, walking up behind us. He put his hand on Tina's shoulder. She looked up at him with a brief smile and grabbed her towel off the rack on the wall.

"Ooh, yeah, how about Waffle King?" Nick suggested exuberantly.

I pulled a face and stuck my tongue out in distaste. "Eww, no, they use bacon grease on everything!"

"What about Number One Noodle Son?" Tina asked. "I could really go for some chicken in garlic sauce."

Jeff sauntered over, with his arm around the waist of his date du jour. "So, what are we doing tonight?"

* * *

Michael:

I craned my neck looking for any sign that the band was milling around with the crowd. I noticed they had not set up a table tonight. I was facing the bar when someone tapped me on the shoulder.

I turned, facing Mia and Tina. Lilly was a few feet away, chatting to the keyboard player.

"Hey." I greeted her. Smooth talking, I know.

"Hey."

She was staring pointedly at Lilly. Clearing my throat, I pulled Lilly away from Nick and introduced her to Mia.

"This is my cousin, Lilly."

Tina's eyebrows shot up. I don't think she believed me. Lilly extended her hand to Mia. Mia smiled at Lilly and shook her hand.

"Michael has been telling me many wonderful things about you."

Mia flushed and glanced up at me. The lead singer and drummer joined us.

"So, we were thinking Chinese. That alright with you?" Greg asked me.

Mia glared at her. Lilly was watching this exchange with open curiosity. She looked at me for a few seconds, then spoke.

"Actually, we are famished. I was just asking Michael if he knew of a good place for dim sum."

It was my turn to act surprised. Lilly didn't say anything to me about getting something to eat. She stomped on my instep and I caught on quickly.

"Oh, er, yeah. Chinese sounds good to me."


	13. In Between Dreams

A/N: Chapter Thirteen in all it's glory. R/R please, but most of all enjoy!

Disclaimer: PD belongs to Meg Cabot.

A/N2: Thanks goes out to everyone who reviewed last chapter, Schwartzibrow, Literati Lover, hgill, and blond1w/smelborp!

* * *

Mia:

We all agreed on Number One Noodle Son for dinner. I was surprised that Michael brought his cousin with him. I was also surprised that it was she, not Michael, who prompted them to join us. Not that I'm worried or anything. This isn't like a real date or anything. Just a gathering of close friends. Okay, so not all my close friends have the power to make me want to strip them naked and have my wicked way with them, but…ugh! Get your mind out of the gutter, Thermopolis.

I am currently crammed into a booth with Michael on one side and Nick on the other. I'm not too worried about Nick; I think he might be gay. Sure, he has girls draped all over him after every show, but I never see him dating any of them. Of course, he could have a higher standard than certain other band members. If ever there was a man-whore, it would be Jeff.

But, I digress. I have Michael so close to me, I can't move my right arm without moving his left arm with it. I looked across the table, where Tina was flirting with Greg. Lilly was on the other side of Nick, chatting about the current political climate in Genovia, and Jeff was, as per usual, making out with a girl he picked up on the way over.

"So," Tina began, "what do we want to eat?"

Everyone picked up the menu but me. I have memorized everything vegetarian that they serve here because I ordered take-out so often.

The waiter came by and took our order and we settled back into our seats and sipped our drinks. Everyone seemed to be talking amongst themselves, everyone except me and Michael. I looked over at him and caught him looking at me. He quickly turned his head and picked up his straw paper, examining it closely.

The chatter slowly died away, and when the table was silent once more, Lilly spoke up.

"I really enjoyed your show tonight. You all played really well."

Discussion was opened once more and everyone joined in. Michael turned slightly toward me.

"You are awesome on the guitar. That guitar solo in the ADD song was great. You reminded me of Lindsay Lohan in Freaky Friday, you know, when she is singing with her band at the end of the movie…" He trailed off, aware that I was staring at him with amusement.

"You've watched Freaky Friday?"

"Oh," he mumbled sheepishly, "well, I watched it with Judith one night when there was nothing else on."

"Ah, well that explains it." I couldn't help but laugh a little at his embarrassment.

We began a discussion of our favorite movies, where I discovered that he was a Star Wars fan like me. The food arrived a few minutes later, and Michael gazed at my plate.

"What did you order?"

I looked down at my plate. "Sesame noodles and stir-fried vegetables."

He looked at his own plate, then back at mine. He took a tentative bite of his food and smiled. The table was quiet, everyone enjoying their dinner.

After everyone finished eating, Jeff made his excuses and threw some money on the table to settle the bill. I looked at Tina, who was engrossed in a conversation with Greg. Lilly was sitting silently and Nick was talking on his cell phone.

I took a deep breath and suggested that we all go to the billiards hall down the street. Michael's eyes lit up, making him look like a little boy on Christmas morning. Lilly bowed out, saying she had to fly to Genovia the next morning, but Greg, Nick, and Tina all eagerly accepted.

* * *

Michael:

I can't believe the asinine things that have come out of my mouth tonight. Admitting to a girl that I watched and semi-enjoyed "Freaky Friday" is bad enough, let alone telling her the person I watched it with was just discovered in a- to put it delicately- compromising position.

After dinner, we wandered down the empty sidewalk to the nearest pool hall. Greg, Tina, and Nick walked ahead of us, leaving me alone with Mia.

"I never imagined I would be out at 12 pm to play pool. Grandmere would have kittens if she saw me."

Mia laughed softly. "Well," she said, pointing to the three ahead of us, "they are pretty good, but I've just started working the pool circuit."

I walked in silence for a few seconds and then took her hand in mine. It felt nice. Warm, tingles shot up and down my spine, as we walked hand in hand in the dark.

"I'm having a really good time tonight," she murmured. "I can't believe I'm telling you this. Usually when I'm around a guy, I get nervous, and I clam up. Either that, or I ramble on about nothing at all." She paused. "Kind of like I'm doing right now."

We had reached the door, so I reluctantly dropped her hand and held it open for her. Hazy smoke enveloped us when we stepped in. She waved her hand in front of her face to clear a path. Tina, Nick, and Greg were already at a table.

"I think I'm going to sit this round out." Mia said, perching on a bar stool against the wall.

Nick and I played a game on one table, while Tina and Greg took a table a few feet away. I sunk the eight ball mid-way through the game and cursed loudly. I looked over at Mia, who was heatedly talking on her cell phone. I moved a bit closer to her, trying to catch snippets of the conversation.

"No, Kenny," a pause, "Look, I've said all I have to say to you right now." She glanced up at me. "Now's really not a good time to talk…Fine…Kenny…KENNY…I have to go now." She abruptly hung up and smiled up at me.

"Are you ready to play?" I asked her. What I wanted to ask her was "Who the hell is Kenny?"

She nodded, stood up, and selected a pool cue from the rack on the wall. "You break. I can never hit the balls hard enough."

I raised my eyebrows at the seemingly innocent remark. "Fair enough," I replied, "rack it up."

She proceeded to place the balls in numerical order in the rack. When she was finished, I set the cue ball on the end of the table and sent it speeding across the table. Two solids and a stripe rolled out of formation and into the pockets.

"Wow, pretty good," she commented.

I aimed for the 1, but deliberately missed it. I didn't want to show her up too badly. She took her position and prepared to knock a ball into the corner pocket. I couldn't help myself. I walked up behind her and corrected her grip. Placing my hands over hers, we sent the ball straight into the pocket.

Before she straightened, I inhaled the scent of her shampoo. Not in a grossly obsessed way, just out of curiosity.

* * *

Mia:

I have to admit that when it comes to pool, I am the Jedi-master. However, some part of me wanted to play "damsel in distress" when I got around Michael. Tina knew what I was doing; I have whipped her ass on more than one occasion.

When he walked up behind me and circled his arms around my waist, I nearly melted, making my "mediocrity" all the more plausible. Together we sent the ball directly where it was intended. I didn't want him to take his arms away, so when I lined up a second shot, I placed my hands awkwardly on the cue. Just as I was about to take the shot, I looked over at Tina and winked.

Michael saw me wink and exclaimed, "Wait a second. I know what you're doing. You are pretending to suck, just so you don't make me feel bad."

I looked heaven ward and settled my face into my most angelic expression. He walked closer to me, closer until he was two breaths away from my face. I looked up at him. He leaned toward me and my eyelids fluttered shut. I could feel his mouth hovering just above mine and he whispered, "Care to make a wager?"

My eyelids flew open as a wicked smile curled up at the corner of my mouth. "You're on."


	14. Hit Me with Your Best Shot

A/N: Hey guys. So sorry about the long wait for the newest chapter. School and homework is kicking my ass right now, so I haven't had much time to update or read anyone else's work and review. (SB: I haven't forgotten about your fantastique story, I've just been waiting until you upload a few chapters so I can read more in one sitting.) Thank you to everyone for their tres magnifique reviews, I have gotten more reviews for this story than I have received for my completed story, yay! Anyway, read, enjoy, then tell me how much you enjoyed reading it and REVIEW! (please…thank you)

Disclaimer: PD+MMproperty of Meg Cabot…

* * *

Mia:

"What are the terms?" I asked breathily as Michael took a half step backwards.

He grinned. "If I win, I want to be able to take you on a date. Alone." He glanced meaningfully at Tina, Greg, and Nick.

Hmmm… I might have to take a drive. I wouldn't mind being stuck in a restaurant alone with Michael Renaldo. Or…

"And if I win?"

He shrugged and replied, "You get to go on a date with one of the most eligible bachelors in Genovia?"

Laughing, I lightly punched his arm. "No, seriously. If I win, I want…a frozen hot chocolate from Serendipity delivered to my dorm every night this week."

"Sounds fair to me." Michael replied as he tossed the chalk in the air and easily caught it.

"Be prepared to spend a lot of time on the Metro between my place and yours." I went over to the wall and exchanged my cue for a slightly heavier one. I held my hand out for the chalk and he placed it in my outstretched palm, smirking.

"Don't be so sure of yourself. I hope you have a good pair of dancing shoes," he retorted, staring meaningfully at my flip-flops. He pulled a quarter out of his pocket. "Wanna flip for the break?"

"I call heads."

He flipped the coin into the air and it landed on the floor between us. It was tails. Dammit. I trudged to the end of the table and began racking the balls. When I lifted the rack, Michael stepped up to the other end and made a clean break.

"Ooh, nice shot." I winked at him. He took a second shot, but missed. "What's the matter? You're not losing your nerve are you?"

"Of course not. I just thought I'd give you a fighting chance before I kicked your pretty little butt."

I looked over my shoulder at Tina, Greg and Nick. They had finished their game and were seated on the stools behind our table, watching us. Nick leaned over and whispered something to Tina, who grinned maniacally and nodded. I turned my head back to Michael and smiled. "That's what you think."

I totally ran that table. Michael stood next to Tina with his jaw on the floor. I smirked triumphantly and walked slowly toward him. "Wanna play again?"

"Sure. Best two out of three?"

I thought about it for a second. Nightly chocolaty treats are just too good to pass up. "Nah. New terms."

He raised his eyebrows at that one. The only thing better than a weeks worth of frozen hot chocolates is TWO weeks of frozen hot chocolates. He mused on it for a second, then agreed. "Deal. If I win, you still have to go on that date with me, but you also have to do my laundry for a week."

WHAT? My face instantly fell into a frown, but he laughed and said, "I'm just kidding, but I would like to raise the stakes to two dates. Alone."

Hmm. I think I could seriously deal with two dates alone with Michael. What to do, what to do… "I've got to make a trip to the ladies room, but I'll let you know when I get out."

I walked past Tina and discreetly touched her shoulder. She glanced up at me, then stood and followed me through the smoky room.

* * *

Michael:

Mia and Tina strode quickly away from the table, and I walked over to where Nick and Greg were sitting.

"So, what do you think the girls are talking about right now?" I asked them.

Greg rolled his eyes and said, "Those two? Probably deciding whether or not Mia should throw the next round."

"Trust me, she won't have to throw it. I already know I'm going to win."

"You think so, huh?" Nick interjected, "Mia's pretty good, I think she's been playing since she was twelve."

I could tell Nick was loyal to Mia, but he continued, "Honestly? I hope she doesn't decide to take a dive. I think it would be good for her to get out and start dating again. After that fiasco with Kenny, she really hasn't gotten out very much."

Kenny again. "What happened?"

"Well, I really shouldn't be telling you this, but he turned out to be a total psycho. He would call her every ten minutes when she went to rehearsals, you know, just really…stalked her almost."

My face betrayed nothing, but inside I was a little angry. I nodded to Nick and looked up to see Tina and Mia heading toward us.

"So. Did you decide whether you want to throw the next game?"

Mia flushed guiltily and gazed at the floor briefly. When she looked up, she smiled thinly and said determinedly, "Well, I wasn't going to do my best, but now? I hope you're prepared to make a lot of visits to Serendipity."

I clapped my hands together and said, "We'll see."

Propping my stick on the end of the table, I racked the balls for Mia to break. The balls exploded in all directions over the table, but none made it into the pocket. Time to break into James Bond mode. I took a sip of my water and swished it around in my mouth before I swallowed it, and then set the glass down.

She gazed at me uneasily as I moved around the table, pocketing balls left and right. Finally, it was down to the eight ball. I called the shot, and it ricocheted around the table before landing in the intended pocket. Grinning widely, I faced Mia, who was frowning.

"Aww, what's the matter? Can't take the loss?"

"No, actually, I was mourning the loss of a second weeks worth of chocolate." She grinned impishly at me as a strand of hair fell into her face.

I moved closer to her and reached over to tuck the wayward strand behind her ear. Our eyes met and for a brief instant, I felt a pang of an indescribable emotion. Joy, fear, apprehension and excitement all pooled together inside me. My hand dropped before it touched her face, and I quickly turned away. Smooth move, Renaldo, real smooth.

Before I could say another word, Tina and Greg walked up to us and told us they were leaving. Mia pulled Tina off to the side and Greg laughed and gave me a hi-five.

"Nice going, man."

"Thanks. You guys leaving already?"

He stretched and took a quick peek at Tina, "Yeah, we were gonna try and catch a movie."

I understood perfectly. They waved once more and turned for the door. I looked over to where Nick was sitting, but his seat was empty.

"Where did Nick go?"

Mia walked around me and said, "He took off when you were playing, said he wanted to meet up with a friend." She linked her arm with mine, "Do you mind walking me home?"

We paid the attendant, then exited the smoky din and headed toward the NYU dorms. We walked in silence, savoring the cool, clean air. "So, when should I expect my deliveries to begin?"

I chuckled. "How about tomorrow night?"

She nodded in agreement. "That's cool."

We continued in silence until we reached the outer door of Mia's building. She lightly punched me on the arm. "Guess I'll see you later then."

I leaned in toward her, but she turned away. At that exact moment, a blinding flash went off and I heard the telltale click of a camera taking a picture. Well, if I'm going to be on the front page, I may as well make it good. The realization that we were being watched surprised Mia, and when I pulled her toward me, she didn't resist. My lips descended upon hers, giving her a sweet goodnight kiss. She pulled back and stared at me. Before I could say anything else, her lips found mine again, and she wrapped her arms around my neck, deepening our kiss. I groaned inwardly. If things didn't cool down quickly, I would be carrying her up the stairs and into her room. I wasn't ready, and Mia definitely wasn't ready. I broke away and whispered good night in her ear. Turning to go, the shutterbugs whistled loudly and I shoved my hands in my jacket pocket.

"Hey, I've got something else for you." I walked closer to them, then pulled out my hand, exposing a single digit for the camera. Childish, I know, but this wasn't how I envisioned my first kiss with Mia. I jogged down the dark sidewalk and disappeared into the nearest Metro station.


	15. OopsI Did It Again

A/N: You guys want to here something funny? Ok, well, I keep my stories on a little blue flash drive that I couldn't find anywhere. So, forgetting that I already had chapter 15 halfway written a year ago, I wrote a different one. Then I filled about 8 pages in a spiral notebook with material to become chapter 16. I liked this chapter much better than the one I wrote a few weeks ago, so I deleted it and decided to repost a new, improved chapter 15.

Disclaimer: As per usual, Meg Cabot owns PD and all characters you recognize, but not those you don't. And for sake of me not having to type a disclaimer on all chapters, This is the final disclaimer I make for this story.

P.S. Read and review PLEASE. )

Mia:

I was practically floating when I finally reached my room. I opened the door as quietly as I could and slipped inside. When my eyes adjusted to the dark, I noticed that the second bed was undisturbed, which meant my roommate was probably "hanging out" with her boyfriend. That was fine with me, we hadn't been getting on lately, and I was glad to be able to turn the lamp on.

The scent of smoke clung to my shirt and hair, but I was too exhausted to shower. I kicked my shoes off and fell back onto the bed, grateful for the comfort of my pillow. The scene of Michael's kiss replayed in my mind until I finally drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Saturday morning dawned bright and early, but I was blissfully unaware of the hustle and bustle of the city. When I finally awoke, I stretched languidly and glanced at the clock. It was nearly ten, and I realized what had pulled me out of my slumber. Someone was banging insistently on my door. My brain was still slightly cloudy, but I slowly dangled my feet over the side of my bed and pulled myself upright. The knocking ceased, but I pulled the door open in time to see Tina's smiling face. She pushed past me and parked herself on my computer chair. She rummaged around in her large tote and pulled out several entertainment sections.

"Let's see. You made the front page of the entertainment section in the Times, the Journal, and the Chronicle."

I stood before her, immensely confused. Why in the world would I be on the front… Realization dawned on me as Tina continued.

"So, what exactly did the two of you do last night?" Tina's eyes twinkled and she held the papers just out of my reach as I lunged forward to grab them.

I frowned at her until she relinquished the papers into my hands. Grainy, poorly taken pictures of Michael kissing me were prominently displayed on the top half of each paper. The headlines were nearly identical, all screaming something like "_Prince Michael Caught in the Act: A Fairy Tale in the Making?"_ I turned the folded paper over and was greeted with Michael's middle finger posing for the camera.

Tina demanded details, but I politely declined. When she realized she wasn't getting any answers, she folded the papers up and stowed them in her bag again.

Leaning back in the computer chair, she surveyed the room. When she spotted my bulletin board, she leaned forward to take a closer look. "Mia."

I looked up at her and then to where she was pointing to on the board with a look of mock consternation on her face. I blushed guiltily. In the corner, there was a picture of Michael I had cut out of a Star magazine and pinned to the cork-board.

"Oh, yeah, that. It's a funny story actually, I was just trying to find a hairstyle that…" I drifted off in mid-fib when I saw Tina's look of blatant disbelief.

"Ok, ok. I cut it out and posted it up there after I gave him my number."

Tina put her hands up and said, "You don't have to explain a thing to me."

"So," I began, eager to change the subject, "what are the plans for this morning?"

"Well, I thought we could start the day off right by going for a coffee run. I am dying for some caffeine."

I smirked, knowing without a doubt that Tina had already consumed at least one cup. She was a caffeine fiend. I, on the other hand, could definitely go for a cup of joe. Or two.

"I've got to call my mom and let her know that I am still alive."

"You mean you have to call her and find out if she saw this morning's paper?"

"Yeah, that too. God only knows what she will say when she finds out."

I dug around in my closet in search of a clean shirt and a pair of jeans. After finding exactly what I was looking for, I grabbed my towel and my shower basket.

"Damn Mia, I'd like some coffee this year. Didn't you take a shower last night?"

I rolled my eyes and headed for the bathroom. When I emerged from the shower, Tina was checking her email on my computer. My room-mate had apparently returned for a moment; her books and backpack had been dumped on her bed and some of the papers spilled onto the floor.

"Your roomie came in while you were in the shower. She said when you get finished with the Prince, she'll take him off your hands," Tina stated in amusement.

"I'm sure." I picked up the phone and dialed my mom's number. When she didn't answer after the seventh ring, I hung up in relief. She was in her studio, oblivious to the world around her and fingers crossed, hadn't seen the morning papers.

Grabbing my keys and bag, Tina and I left my room and hurried to the closest Starbucks.

Michael:

Saturday morning came too early for me. I was asleep when the phone began ringing incessantly. Rolling over and grumbling a few choice swear words, I picked up the handset and mumbled, "Hello?

"Michael. It's Lilly. I just thought I would call to warn you that Grandmere is on her way to your dormitory. She saw the newspapers this morning."

Her words barely penetrated my sleep clouded brain. When I didn't reply, she continued.

"Did you hear me? Grandmere is…"

I interrupted her mid-sentence, "I heard you say that. Why exactly is she coming over?"

I could feel her increasing impatience with me through the wires. She took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "The newspapers. Haven't you seen them? You are all over the front page of at least three of them."

Aw, shit. Mia. The kiss. More importantly, the debut of my middle finger.

I groaned and fell back onto my pillow.

"I suggest that you get out of bed and get ready. I believe Grandmere is extremely angry; you might be lucky enough to greet another day."

The phone went dead in my hand.

I don't think I have ever gotten out of bed and dressed as quickly as I did this morning. In my head I weighed my options. I could stay here and endure a tongue lashing like I had never experienced before. Or, I could leave. I had always been responsible and faced things like a man, but a part of me wanted to shirk my responsibility and take off. After several minutes of debate, I grabbed my wallet, shoved my keys in my pocket and opened the door. And nearly ran into Grandmere, who was reaching out to turn the doorknob.

My eyes went wide with fear and her lips curled up into a satisfied smirk. I backed into my room and prepared myself the shouting to begin. I was shocked when it didn't. Grandmere perched regally on the corner of my desk and lit a cigarette. I wasn't about to tell my grandmother, who happened to be the queen of a small principality, that these rooms were non-smoking.

"Michael," she began in a gravelly voice, blowing smoke out with each syllable, "I understand that you had quite a night last night."

When I didn't respond, she continued.

"You will continue to see this girl, I presume?"

I nodded my assent.

Her lip slightly curled in distaste. "There is, I suppose, nothing I could do to sway you."

I shook my head.

"Well, I suggest you bring your 'friend' to the Plaza. I would like to meet this American girl."

I grimaced inwardly. It was a "suggestion" that wasn't open to negotiation.


	16. Paris can do it, why can't I?

A/N: Chapter sixteen is finally here. And it didn't even take another year to complete. If the story seems to have a different tone to it than in the previous chapters, please keep in mind that most of this story was written almost a year ago, so I've kind of forgotten what I wanted to do with it. But don't worry, plenty of good ideas are currently filling up my mind, and there will be plenty of good healthy drama to come. Please be kind and R/R.

Michael:

After Grandmere left, I picked up the phone and dialed Mia's cell phone number. She didn't answer, so I didn't bother leaving a message. Why couldn't my family be normal like Paris Hilton's family? She's in the papers nearly every day and before she started dating that Greek guy, it was with a different guy every night.

I grabbed my keys and shoved them into my pocket. When I emerged onto the sidewalk, the horde of press photographers that had followed my grandmother remained. I jogged down the way, trying to escape the paparazzi as quickly as possible. Pushing my way through a crowd of curious onlookers, I made it into a cab and away from the cameras.

After telling the driver my desired destination, I sat back and tried to find a way out of the situation I had gotten myself into. I couldn't stop seeing Mia, I didn't want to. But, if we were photographed together, Grandmere would realize something was up. The only solution I could come up with was to ask Mia to accompany me to the Plaza Hotel and meet Grandmere.

Mia:

Tina and I fueled up on caffeine, then walked to Tina's parents' house for band practice. When we arrived, we found the guys already there waiting for us. Nick and Greg were sitting on the couch watching The Simpsons and Jeff was on his cell phone, as usual.

I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and set it on the coffee table. Clapping my hands together, I rounded up the boys and we all headed for the band rehearsal room. After a few weeks of hearing us play in the living room, Tina's parents generously offered to soundproof a room just for us.

"Mia, you missed a call." Tina had picked up my phone and was scrolling through the missed calls list.

"Do you mind?" I snatched the phone out of her hands and took a peek at the number. It was Michael.

I could feel my ears getting red as my heart rate began to elevate. All the guys turned to stare at me, causing my blush to deepen and extend into my cheeks.

"Do you have something you would like to share with the group Amelia? Greg pulled a copy of the Times from behind his drum set. He glanced down, "Prince Michael Caught with Mystery Blonde".

"Yeah, you know, that mystery blonde? She looks a lot like you, Mia." Nick commented.

Jeff, who had stood there with a bewildered look on his face during this entire exchange, grabbed the paper away from Greg and stared at it. "Whoa. Michael is the Prince of Genovia? Fuck yeah! Hey Mia, why don't you ask him about hooking us up with a record deal?"

I shook my head vehemently. "No way guys. Absolutely not."

Jeff began protesting, but Tina cut him off mid-whine.

"Dude, wouldn't you rather get a record deal based on merit, rather than the fact that we were signed because we knew someone famous?"

Jeff stared at her like she had just sprouted a second head and replied, "Just think of all the chicks we could score with." He looked toward Nick and Greg. "Guys, back me up on this."

Nick rolled his eyes and Greg moved next to Tina and put his arm around her.

Jeff threw his hands into the air and huffed, "Fine, if that's the way everyone feel, then let's just get on with the rehearsal."

Twenty minutes passed without incident and we were in the middle of a new song, when my cell phone rang again. Groaning in aggravation, Jeff called a five minute break. I raced to my phone in anticipation. Tina and the boys went into the next room in search of sustenance. I picked up my phone, expecting to hear Michael's deep, melodic voice, but was greeted instead by the shrieks of my two year old brother in the background. My mother came on the line a second later and didn't even bother with formalities.

"Mia, do you realize that when I picked up the paper this afternoon, I saw a picture of you in the entertainment section?"

Shit. Well, at least she didn't seem to be too angry. My reprieve was short-lived however, when she continued.

"I thought you had more sense than that. The last thing you need right now is to get caught up in some boy's little game."

WTF? Way to totally and completely spaz out mom. I should have told her that I enjoyed being Michael's "toy", just to get a rise out of her. Instead, my reply was, "Mom, first of all, Michael isn't like that. And second, it was just a kiss. It's not like I took him up to my room and had my wicked way with him." Not that it didn't cross my mind.

My mother sighed. "I know honey. It's just that I worry about you. I don't want to see you throw your life away because some boy made a few promises to you."

"Mom, he's not like Dad." My father, or should I say, sperm donor, had been quite the ladies man back in his day. He met my mother at a concert one night and the rest, as they say, is history. I think I have seen him a total of eleven times in my life.

My mom and I hung up as Tina walked into the room carrying two orange sodas and a bag of Doritos. She handed me one of the drinks and opened the bag of chips.

"So, judging by the scowl on your face, that wasn't Michael."

I shook my head. We returned to rehearsal for about forty minutes, then I had to jet. I waved to everyone, then headed out the door. I was almost back to my dorm, when I spotted Michael exiting my building. He started to walk in the other direction, so I yelled out for him. He stopped in mid-stride, then turned to face me with a smile on his gorgeous face.

"Hey, Mia. I just stopped by to see if you wanted to go for coffee."

I smiled up at him and linked my arm in his. "Sure. Let's go."

Michael:

When Mia and I met up, we walked to the nearest café and sat down outside. After ordering, I closed my eyes and tried to figure out how to broach this topic without causing a total freakout from Mia.

"This is really nice. I don't think I have ever been here before."

Mia spoke, breaking my train of thought. I glanced at her. "Really?"

"Yeah, and I've lived here my entire life. So, what's Genovia like?" she asked, taking a sip of her latte.

"It's nice. It's nothing like America. Everything is so peaceful there. We don't really have a lot of hustle and bustle like New York."

Mia was silent for a moment. I figured that this was as good a time as any to tell her what Grandmere had in store for me.

"So," I began, "my grandmother saw the tabloids this morning."

"Really? Did she freak out? My mom totally freaked on me this afternoon."

"Erm, well, sort of. She just wanted me to introduce the two of you. This afternoon."

I looked down at my coffee, then back up to her.

"Uh, okay. So is she a member of the royal family also?"

This poor girl really has no idea what is in store for her. "Well, she's the Queen of Genovia."

Mia began choking on her coffee and for a moment, I thought I was going to have to call 911. Her face turned a slight shade of purple, but she quickly regained her composure. Bravo.

"You don't have to if you don't want to, I'd understand, but that would pretty much mean this relationship is over."

Oh, God. Did I just tell her I thought we had a relationship? And that said relationship was doomed to failure if she didn't do as Grandmere commanded?

"Wow."

That was all she was going to say? Wow?

"So, is that coming from your grandmother or from you?"

I explained the fact that Grandmere was the reigning sovereign, so what she said, pretty much went.

Mia looked at me thoughtfully. "Ok, I guess I could do that."

Waves of relief washed over me as I finished my coffee.


	17. One Leg at a Time

A/N: I am back and so excited about it! This is a very short chapter, but there are more bubbling around in my mind, just waiting to be unleashed on the unsuspecting public! I am also going to shamelessly plug this really awesome new thing going on over at Yahoo!, there is now a Meg Cabot Fanfiction Group and I would love for all of you to jump on over there and take a look. It is still a work in progress (like this story), but I am hoping to get some positive feedback about it and get lots of Meg-heads over there!! The URL is groups . yahoo . com / group / mcbookfanfiction

(sorry, I had to space it out, it didn't show up the first time I tried it)

**Mia: **

I arrived at the Plaza, two hours after coffee with Michael, I stepped out of the taxi and stared up at the formidable building. Not that the hotel itself was daunting, but the sixty year old woman, sitting alone in her sitting room, sipping a sidecar, that lay ahead, terrified me.

I looked around for Michael, he promised me that he would be out in front, waiting for me. A group of school children streamed around me, led by a pair of frazzled school teachers. As they passed, I glimpsed Michael stepping through the doors of the hotel and onto the sidewalk.

"Hey, I'm glad you made it," he greeted me.

"Well, my first choice was to run away screaming, but that wouldn't have been very conducive to achieving self-actualization."

He tilted his head and an amused grin crept over his face. His very nice looking face. He had changed, I noticed, into a pair of well cut khaki pants and a polo shirt. I glanced down at my own apparel (a BCBG tee shirt and a pair of blue jeans that had seen better days) and felt extremely underdressed.

"I thought you said that what I had on was fine?" I questioned him, a little embarrassed to realize that Michael, like most men, had paid absolutely no attention to what outfit I was wearing.

He looked at my feet (flip flops!) and said, "I guess I wasn't paying very much attention to what you had on. I was just so nervous about having to drop the G bomb on you that I didn't stop to consider it."

I laughed. He was nervous? HE was nervous? He, who has known his grandmother his entire life, whereas I was meeting the reigning monarch for the first time, was actually nervous? Oh boy, I am in for it.

A subtle "ahem" from beside the door reminded us that we were blocking traffic and the doorman pulled open the door to the posh establishment expectantly. Michael took my elbow and guided me gently to the open door.

"Any last words of encouragement?" I asked him, half jokingly.

He turned to face me. "I think you'll be fine. Just remember she is only a woman. She puts her pants on just like you. One leg at a time."

Somehow I doubt that the Queen would be caught dead in a pair of pants, much less the ones I was wearing.


End file.
